Flydubai co-pilot who attacked captain had been fired from Oman Air over extremism

japantimes.co.jp —

The co-pilot of a Flydubai flight who attacked the captain was previously fired from Oman Air for holding radical views, raising questions about his subsequent hiring. The incident occurred on a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Hamam al-Hammami, 29, was identified as the attacker after Israeli officials initially only confirmed his Omani citizenship. Saudi investigators said both pilots were transferred to Abu Dhabi, but details of the investigation remain limited. UAE investigators stated on Saturday that the co-pilot attempted "to carry out a terrorist act" using a crash ax, a cockpit emergency tool, and tried to seize control of the aircraft.


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